Lemon & Fresh Pea Risotto

When I was at Trader Joe’s last, I found these gorgeous fresh shelled peas and I decided I had to have them and risotto would be the perfect way to use them And the addition of lemon gives this risotto just the right amount of fresh flavor to make the risotto light and easy on these Summer nights.

Now I know a lot of people are scared to make risotto. Let me be clear: it’s not hard! BUT it does take patience and attention. This isn’t the kind of meal you can let cook and walk away from. Trust me, this juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to risotto!

Lemon & Fresh Pea Risotto

Serves 6

What you’ll need:

2 leeks

4 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 cups aborio rice (risotto rice)

1 bottle of dry white wine (I used pinot grigio), room temperature

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 lemon, juiced

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 cup of shucked peas

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

In a large heavy pot saute the leeks and aborio rice in a few tablespoons of olive oil until the rice is coated with olive oil and slightly toasted. A very light translucent/golden color is what you are looking for. Pour in enough wine to cover the rice and leeks. Stir until the wine is absorbed. Add enough wine again to cover the rice. Again stir until absorbed. Repeat until the entire bottle is gone. Add in the garlic and lemon juice. Then use the vegetable broth in the same way. When you add the last of the broth, add in the peas. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately garnished with lemon zest.

Leslie,
You can bake risotto and take some of the commitment out of the dish. This is from Food 52 by cooklynveg “Baked Risotto with Mushroom, Kale and Leek ” I made this and was pleasantly surprised by the great results. However, I too enjoy the stirring when I have the time and something worthwhile to contemplate )

Heat oven to 350°.
In an oven proof pot or pan, incorporate the wine as directed (Wow, you use a lot of wine!).
Add other ingredients and all of the broth. Put in oven for 10 minutes.
At this point if you have other ingredients you will be adding (if using a different risotto recipe), saute them.
Add sauteed ingredients (and 1/2 amount of cheese if using) to the risotto in the pot, stir and put back into oven for 5-10 minutes (I left it 15 to 20) or until the risotto is as tender as you like. Check, when adding last ingredients, to see if more liquid is needed. Add a small amount if any at all.
Season, add remaining ingredients, stir all and serve.

Hmmm, I may have to make yours for lunch today. Thanks for another great recipe.